1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to autonomous action robots. More specifically, the present invention relates to an autonomous action robot which performs movement and attitude control using both image processing and speech processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, autonomous action robots have been developed which aim to coexist with human beings as their companions. Some of these autonomous action robots can respond to a human voice and perform predetermined actions. Furthermore, some robots can capture a scene, which includes a target which is the object of recognition, as image information using a variety of sensors such as cameras, and can recognize the target using this image information and fragmentary information relating to the target. For example, one embodiment of an autonomous action robot is a humanoid robot which recognizes human speech, and behaves as much like a human as possible by performing various operations based on the content of the speech, thus establishing a sense of affinity.
However, in order to develop a humanoid robot which behaves as similarly as possible to a real human being, a function whereby the robot responds to a person calling out, who lies outside the range of vision of the robot, and turns to face this person, and can then identify the face of this person, is necessary. In addition, future humanoid robots will require a function which, when a person indicates an object by a gesture or the like, allows the robot to shift its line of sight to the indicated object and recognize the object.